Easy and mellow...

...on Sunday mornin'.
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by PAM

Then again, after listening to Jennifer Warnes's bluesy voice and the great Joe Cocker's incredibly gritty voice "assaulting" and ripping the air, which the mellow melody soothes to almost tangible silkiness, with such phenomenal mastery of artistic air ripping, if there's such a thing... it becomes a little bit difficult - difficult not to be lifted up in awe.

"Up where we belong" is one  of my biggest favorite songs from one of my favorite films, "An Officer and a Gentleman",  with Richard Gere and Debra Winger.  I remember writing the title of this song in the hundreds of slam books I signed back in High School! =)  It's really a great collaboration of two fantastic artists... and I like Warnes's association with yet another fantastic artist, Leonard Cohen, too, of the "Hallelujah" fame, which was made famous again by the budding artist, Jason Castro, in the 7th Season of "American Idol".  

Alright, that's all the on-line break I'm allowing myself to have today. 

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Wednesday nostalgia...

...because I need a break!

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by PAM



Uhm-hmm, when it comes to my "everyday music", I don't care very much about "perfection", and all that... I prefer uniqueness and personality.  Yep, and they are usually wrapped in some "silliness"... but the endearing kind, and the type that leaves you speechless when unwrapped...

...and can't get enough of - "strangely".  It's probably because beneath the "silliness" is a breathtaking depth that inspires the listener to a sweet contemplation, which, to me is the measure of true artistry!  And they usually endure the others' obssessive desire for "perfection" that, alas, is skin deep in its mimickry of another artist's music - but, sure, still a talent nevertheless.  

That's the thing that's baffling for me y'see... many "perfect-pitched" singers leave me in awe... of them... but I do not remember anything about the song they sing, the music they "slay"!  But artists make me curious about the song they sing, they make me see an old song in a different light because of the way they interpret it - be it by pulling the "big ones" from their vocal artillery at the right moments, or by rendering a different texture to the song by stretching their thin vocal skin to wrap around the song, which then comes alive... they make me contemplate on the message of the song, to think about the joy or the pain that the composer/writer of the song was going through while writing it and how they themselves now feel such joy or pain.  And this is what I mean by "artistry"... it's not just about slinging a guitar, or "toying" with a ukelele! :)  Perhaps, some of them accompany themselves because they are eager to tell a story - a good story... and they wanna make sure it's told in the way that they see it at every turn, with every note, so the listener may relate with the song, the music... rather than striving to get everyone to be impressed by their vocal prowess.  While that "vocal wow factor" is part of the whole "singing business", the artistry should come first... in my book.  Hmmm... or, maybe I'm just that shallow?!   Ah, so much for "imperfection" and "silliness"! :) 

But, yeah, it's all a matter of preference... and these "silly" types, "rebellious" in their uniqueness, admirable in their passion for their artistry, are the ones that I appreciate and remember in a pool of budding music figures - for a long, long time!  So, yeah... Jason Castro!  

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